Electrical connector



May 31, 1966 c, GRAEFF 3,254,322

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed Sept. 18, 1963 R LA I J r 2, 9% 3o la T v z'eel 28 v INVENTOR.

NoRwoou C. GRAE FF United States Patent 3,254,322 ELECTRICAL CONNECTORNorwood C. Graetf, Port Trevorton, Pa., assignor to AMP Incorporated,Harrisburg, Pa. Filed Sept. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 309,801 4 Claims. (Cl.339-95) The present invention is a continuation-in-part of Serial Number272,756, filed April 12, 1963.

The present invention relates to a crimpless and solderless terminatingmeans in which electrical conductor means is merely poked into theconductor barrel of a connector or terminal member to effect a securemechanical and electrical connection without the connector having to becrimped or soldered onto the conductor.

Heretofore an electrical conductor means was mechanically andelectrically secured onto a connector or terminal member by crimping atleast part of the latter to the former. Such an operation required notonly the use of special tools or machines to effect the crimptherebetween, but time in which the crimp was performed.

Another way in which conductor means can be secured to a terminal memberor connector is by soldering. This too requires the use of additionaltools as well as additional time.

Various other ways similar to those mentioned above can be utilized tosecure conductor means to a terminal .member or connector but the use ofspecial tools and time required to effect the securing therebetween areimportant factors to obviate.

The present invention has an object to eliminate the use of specialtools to eifect the mechanical and electrical securing of conductormeans to a terminal member or connector as well as the time required toeffect the securing therebetween.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improvedsolderless and crimpless connector or terminal member which engagesconductor means and has gripping and holding means to hold the conductormeans fast thereto as well as to prevent the conductor means from beingaccidentally removed therefrom.

A further object is to provide an improved connector to which is readilyand easily applied conductor means.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent when thedescription of a preferred form of the invention is read in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of the invention wherein a standardterminal barrel is used;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of a further embodiment of the inventionwherein the terminal tongue is an integral part of the ferrule;

FIGURE 3 is a partial view of FIGURE 2 showing the connection between aconductor means and a barrel portion of the terminal member; and

FIGURE 4 is a reduced sectional view showing a butt connector utilizingthe herein disclosed gripping and holding means.

FIGURE 1 shows a standard terminal member 21 having a tongue portion 22provided with a hole 23 therethrough which engages a binding post orsimilar means. Terminal member 21 is further provided with a barrelportion 24. This type of terminal member can be used to crimp the barrelportion onto a conductor upon its being inserted therein.

To provide the terminal of FIGURE 1 with a gripping and holding member12', which is identical to that shown in FIGURE 2 of the parentapplication except that the periphery has the same configuration as thatof the barrel portion 24, a ferrule 25 engages the outer surface of thebarrel portion 24 in order to maintain member 12 in 3,254,322 PatentedMay 31, 1966 engagement therewith. The end portion 25 in engagement withmember 12' has a hole 26 whose axis is coaxial with that of member 12'.

Ferrule 25 can be secured onto barrel portion 24 by a force fit, weldingor in any other well known manner.

FIGURE 2 shows a terminal similar to that of FIGURE 1 except the ferrule25a is utilized as the barrel portion 24a and the tongue portion 22a isintegral therewith. The material of the barrel portion as shown inFIGURE 2 is not as thick as that of FIGURE 1 and need not be since nocrimp is to be applied thereto. -In the embodiment of FIGURE 2, thegripping and holding member 12', which has a configuration correspondingto the internal configuration of barrel portion 24a, is disposed thereinand against the inner wall of end portion 25b so that the axis of hole26a is coaxial with that of member 12 as in FIGURE 1. A hollow retainingmember 27, whose outer surface has a configuration corresponding to theinner surface of barrel portion 24a, is disposed against member 12 tomaintain same in engagement with the inner wall of end portion 2512 asshown.

Retaining member 27 can be maintained in position within the innerportion of barrel portion 24a against member 12 by means of a force fitto thereby frictionally engage the inner surface of barrel portion 24a,welding or in any other well known manner. Of course member 12' can bewelded in place against end portion 25b if desired thereby obviating theneed for retaining member 27.

Retaining member 27 can be made from various metallic materials such ascopper, aluminum, iron, steel, brass, etc. as wellas plastic material orsimilar materials; however, the metallic materials provide a betterconductive connection between the barrel portion 24a, member 12 andretaining member 27. 7

In FIGURE 1 the ferrule can be clinched along its outer surface toprovide added strength thereto. Also, the forward end of ferrule 25 ofFIGURE 1 can be clinched over the sides and top of the barrel portion 24to hold the barrel portion in place.

FIGURE 3 is a vie-w showing the strands S of the conductor passingthrough the hole of the terminal and engaging the gripping and holdingmember and then extending a slight distance into the inner portion ofthe barrel portion. If desired, epoxy resin or other suitable materialcan be disposed on the inner portion of the barrel portion so that whenthe conductor has been inserted therein as shown in FIGURE 3 there wouldbe a permanent interconnection between the conductor and terminalmember. The same could also be applied to the embodiment of FIGURE 1.The epoxy resin can be of the non-conductive variety or the conductivevariety. The conductive variety lending conductive and securingproperties while the non-conductive variety lends only .securingproperties.

Instead of providing the embodiments of FIGURES 1 and 2 with a grippingand holding member 12 and a ferrule 25 and retaining member 27, the endportion 25 and 25b of the barrel portion can be integral with thegripping and holding member formed therein, especially if epoxy is to bedisposed within the barrel portion.

Another feature that can be applied to the embodiments of FIGUR-ES l and2 is that an insulating sleeve can be disposed on ferrule 25 and barrel24a respectively in order to provide adequate insulation to theconductor and terminal member whereby only the tongue portion isexposed. Of course, the insulating sleeve will extend over the conductormeans.

Turning now to FIGURE 4, there is shown a butt connector 23 comprisingtwo ferrules 29, 30 mounted on a hollow metallic intermediate member 31which is to interconnect at least two conductor means end-to-end.

Ferrules 29, 30 are mounted on member 3 1 by a force fit, welding or inany other suitable manner. Each ferrule 29, 30 has an end portion 29'and 30 which is provided with a hole 29", 30 therethroug-h in a mannersimilar to that of FIGURE 1. Also, in a manner similar to FIGURES l and2, a gripping and holding member 12 is disposed against the inner wallof end portions 29, 30' and intermediate member 31 maintains each member12' thereagainst so that the axis of holes 29", 30" is coaxial with thatof members 12'.

As in FIGURES 1 and 2, ferrules 29, 30 can be clinched to lend strengththereto and epoxy resin can be inserted within the intermediate member31 to secure the conductor means thereto when the conductor means hasbeen inserted in each ferrule as shown in FIGURE 3. A manner in whichthe epoxy resin can be applied is to place the epoxy resin within member31 prior to mounting the ferrules 29, 30 and members 12' thereonespecially where a force fit is to be utilized. Of course intermediatemember 31 can have more sections other than the two shown in order toprovide more crimpless and solderless connections.

As can be discerned from the foregoing, there has been illustrated anddescribed a novel and new concept in the 'use of standard terminalmembers in order to effect a crimpless and solderless termination ofelectrical conductors without the use of any tools and the saving oftime.

It will, therefore, be appreciated that the aforementioned and otherdesirable objectives have been achieved; however, it should beemphasized that the particular embodiments of the invention, which areshown and described herein, are intended as merely illustrative and notas restrictive of the invention.

I claim:

1. A solderless connector for making a mechanical and electricalconnection to a stranded wire comprising a barrel section having anopening in one end, a metal member disposed within said barrel sect-ionand adjacent said opening and having a series of slots forming springvfingers pointed at their ends adjacent an axis coaxial with saidopening, and securing means engaging said barrel section and said metalmember to secure said metal memher within said barrel section, maintainit against said opening and allow said spring fingers to move relativeto each other as a result of insertion forces from said stranded Wire sothat strands of said stranded wire be- ,come wedgingly disposed betweenspring fingers to mechanically and electrically secure sametherebetween.

2. A solderless connector according to claim 1 wherein epoxy resin isdisposed within said barrel section to secure said stranded wire to saidconnector.

'3. A solderless connector for making a mechanical and electricalconnection to a stranded wire comprising a barrel section, a ferrulemember secured on said barrel section and having a closed end providedwith an opening coaxial with an axis of said barrel section, a metalmember disposed between an end of said barrel section and said closedend of said ferrule member, said metal member having a series of slot-sforming spring fingers pointed at their ends adjacent said axis, saidspring fingers extending across said opening and capable of movingrelative to each other as a result of insertion forces from saidstranded wire so that strands of said stranded wire become wedginglydisposed between spring fingers to mechanically and electrically securesame therebetween.

4. A solderless connector according to claim 3 wherein epoxy resin isdisposed within said barrel section to secure said stranded wire to saidconnector.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS JOSEPH D. SEERS,Primary Examiner.

W. DONALD MILLER, Examiner.

1. A SOLDERLESS CONNECTOR FOR MAKING A MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICALCONNECTION TO A STRANDED WIRE COMPRISING A BARREL SECTION HAVING ANOPENING IN ONE END, A MEAL MEMBER DISPOSED WITHIN SAID BARREL SECTIONAND ADJACENT SAID OPENING AND HAVING A SERIES OF SLOTS FORMING SPRINGFINGERS POINTED AT THEIR ENDS ADJACENT AN AXIS COAXIAL WITH SAIDOPENING, AND SECURING MEANS ENGGING SAID BARREL SECTION AND SAID METALMEMBER TO SECURE SAID METAL MEMBER WITHIN SAID BARREL SECTION, MAINTAINIT AGAINST SAID OPENING AND ALLOW SAID SPRING FINGERS TO MOVE RELATIVETO EACH OTHER AS A RESULT OF INSERTION FORCES FROM SAID STRANDED WIRE SOTHAT STRANDS OF SAID STRANDED WIRE BECOME WEDGINGLY DISPOSED BETWEENSPRING FINGERS TO MECHANICALLY AND ELECTRICALLY SECURE SAMETHEREBETWEEN.